- Parking
- Free
- Typical crowd
- Usually quiet
- Best for
- Small children, Paddleboarding, Pairing with dinner, Sunset over calm water
- Facilities
- Restrooms, Playground, Fishing pier, Casino ballroom, Restaurants on Beach Boulevard
Gulfport Beach is not a Gulf beach. It faces Boca Ciega Bay, which means no waves, no rip currents and water that is calm almost all of the time.
That makes it a different proposition from the barrier island beaches. It is where you go with a toddler, a paddleboard or an evening plan, rather than for surf and open horizon.
The beach sits at the end of Beach Boulevard, which is Gulfport's short main street of galleries, restaurants and independent shops, so it is one of very few beaches in the county you can pair with an actual walkable town.
What makes it worth the trip
No surf
Sheltered bay water. The single best beach in the county for a nervous swimmer or a very small child.
The Casino
The historic waterfront ballroom at the foot of Beach Boulevard. Not gambling, a dance hall, and still in use.
The town behind it
Galleries, restaurants and a monthly art walk, all within a couple of blocks of the sand.
Parking
Free and metered street parking around Beach Boulevard and the municipal marina. Easy outside of event evenings.
Rates and hours change. Confirm the current cost with the city, the county or the state park before you go rather than trusting any published figure, including ours.
Crowds
Quiet most days. Busy during the monthly art walk and the weekly market in season.
Rules
- Check City of Gulfport rules on dogs and alcohol at the posted signs.
- The bay is shallow a long way out. Watch for boat traffic beyond the swim area.
- Glass is banned on every beach in the county. Cans and plastic only.
- Sea turtle nesting runs 1 May to 31 October. Fill in holes, knock down sandcastles, take gear home at night and keep lights off the sand after dark.
- Shorebird nesting areas are roped off in spring and summer. The nests sit on open sand and are nearly invisible, so stay outside the posted zones.
- Beach warning flags are not advisory decoration. Double red means the water is closed. Purple means dangerous marine life, usually jellyfish or red tide.
- Most beach towns clear unattended chairs, tents and umbrellas overnight. Take it with you.
Getting there
South from Gulfport Boulevard to the end of Beach Boulevard. Ten minutes from downtown St. Petersburg.
Good for
Photo: Uptownnow / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0). Source